By Shabana Ibrahim
The Northern Province Fishermen’s Co-operative Societies (NPFCS) Union in a letter to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, expressed their displeasure over the decision to assign the supervision of the North Sea Ltd. Jaffna to the Ministry of Hindu Religious Affairs.

In the letter, Vice President of the NPFCS Union, Rev. Fr. R. Peter Thurairatnam said that when comparing the merits and demerits of the administration by the ministers for North Sea the NPFCS Union is of the opinion that the Rehabilitation Ministry will monitor this institution successfully as in the course of time development proposals for North Sea funding and administration will be far better when compared to a sectorial religious ministry which has no direct nor indirect contact with North Sea. "This act is like converting a butcher into a barber," Thurairatnam said.

The letter also stated that the fishermen are happy that the co-ordination between the Rehabilitation Ministry, North Sea and the NPFCS Union will bring better co-ordination and fruitful results to the fishermen in general and the North Sea in particular, where the participation of the fishermen will definitely uplift the socio economic standard of the fishermen and also be an impetus for the development of the North Sea.